Chapter 5

The sound of the shower stopped.

Axel walked out of the bathroom. A white towel hung low on his hips. Drops of water slid down the hard, defined lines of his chest and stomach.

He walked to the bedroom door and grabbed the handle. It didn't turn.

His eyebrows snapped together. His eyes turned dark and lethal.

He reached into the pocket of his discarded suit jacket and pulled out a black electronic master key card. He pressed it against the lock. A green light flashed with a sharp beep. He pushed the door open.

The air inside the bedroom was suffocatingly hot and smelled sickeningly sweet.

Adelia was thrashing in the center of the bed. She was panting heavily, her fingers tearing frantically at the neckline of her dress.

The expensive silk of her Oscar de la Renta gown was bunched up around her waist. Her pale skin glowed under the moonlight, slick with sweat.

Axel knew exactly what he was looking at. Kian had drugged her.

He crossed the room in three massive strides. He leaned over the bed and grabbed both of her wrists, pinning her hands down. His knuckles turned white from the force.

Adelia gasped. The cold, damp skin of Axel's large hands sent a shockwave of relief through her burning body. She let out a soft, desperate sigh and arched her back, instinctively pressing herself closer to the cold source.

Her hot cheek pressed against his wet chest. Her boiling breath washed over his skin.

The heat of her breath acted like a match hitting gasoline. Axel's jaw locked. The muscles in his neck strained.

"Adelia," he barked, his voice rough and commanding. He tried to force her brain to wake up.

Adelia opened her eyes. The room was spinning. She couldn't focus. All she saw was the sharp jawline and the distinct facial structure that belonged to the Cooper bloodline.

The drugs obliterated her logic. The crushing betrayal of Coleman leaving her at the hospital flooded her mind. A dark, reckless need for revenge exploded inside her chest.

She violently twisted her wrists, breaking free from his grip. She threw her arms around his neck. She pulled herself up and smashed her mouth against his.

Her lips were soft and tasted heavily of champagne.

Axel's entire body went rigid. His brain completely short-circuited.

He raised his hands to push her shoulders away. But Adelia clung to him like a drowning woman. Her fingernails dug deep into the hard muscles of his back, leaving stinging red scratches.

Suddenly, a hot tear slipped from her eye. It dropped onto Axel's collarbone, burning his skin.

"Why did you leave me?" she mumbled against his mouth, her voice breaking with pure agony.

That single tear shattered Axel's iron control. His hands stopped pushing. His breathing turned ragged and heavy.

He flipped his hands, his large palms gripping the back of her head. He kissed her back. He crushed his mouth against hers, stealing the air from her lungs. The wet sound of their lips echoed in the dark room.

They fell backward onto the mattress. The heavy duvet was kicked off, landing in a heap on the floor. The bed frame groaned under their weight.

Axel's lips left her mouth. He dragged his mouth down her jawline, pressing hot, open-mouthed kisses against the sensitive skin of her neck. Adelia shivered violently, her fingers tangling in his damp hair.

His hand moved to the back of her dress. He gripped the metal zipper. The sound of the zipper sliding down was deafening in the quiet room.

Just as the fabric began to slip off her shoulders, Adelia let out a sharp, painful whimper. Her body curled inward, like a wounded animal trying to protect itself.

The sound hit Axel like a bucket of ice water.

He froze. The dark lust vanished from his eyes in a fraction of a second, replaced by crushing, violent self-hatred.

He shoved himself off her body. He stood up by the bed, his chest heaving as he gasped for air. Sweat dripped from his forehead.

He stared at the girl on his bed. Her dress was half-off, her mind completely gone.

"Fuck," he cursed under his breath.

He grabbed the heavy duvet from the floor and threw it over her, wrapping her tightly so not an inch of her skin was visible.

Axel turned and walked straight back into the bathroom. He cranked the shower handle to the coldest setting. He stood under the freezing water, letting it shock his boiling blood back to normal.

Ten minutes later, he walked out. He was fully dressed in a fresh dress shirt and slacks. Every single button was fastened to the top.

He walked to the bed. Adelia was fast asleep. The tear tracks on her cheeks were dry. Her breathing was slow and steady.

He reached out and gently brushed a strand of hair away from her face. His touch was terrifyingly soft.

He turned away and walked to the floor-to-ceiling window. He pulled a cigar from a humidor and lit it. The red cherry of the cigar glowed in the dark, illuminating the harsh, grim lines of his face.

He pulled out his phone and typed a message to Kian: I will end you.

Axel sat down on the leather armchair. He did not close his eyes once. He watched her breathe until the sun came up.